THE ROBERTSON SMALL HOTEL, ROBERTSON Andrea Nagel, Features editor

There are hundreds of things to do in the Breede River Valley — also known as the Valley of Wine and Roses. There are breweries to visit, wine farms to explore; underground tunnels to traverse lit only by candles; rocky terrain in which to work up a sweat; countless cellars to inspect; rivers to swim in; honey farms to forage; farm stalls to raid; olives freshly picked from the groves to sample; and lavender to harvest.

The best base from which to access all this treasure is a fragrant little gem in the heart of Robertson, a few hours from Cape Town. But once ensconced at the Robertson Small Hotel, lolling in the lap of luxury with nothing more to attend to than humming-bird watching and G&T drinking, supplemented by the occasional dive into the pool directly from the verandah, it was hard to think of doing anything else.

Come the end of the weekend, we hadn’t set foot off the property. We wanted to move in, permanently, and forget work and appointments and commitments. So we booked an extra two nights and to hell with the consequences.

Priced from R1,610 per person per night. See therobertsonsmallhotel.com